Kent and Barbara Hughes, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome. Crossway Books, 2008.
Referenced in: Strengthening and Renewing the Ministry Call
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is especially helpful for ministers experiencing discouragement because their ministries lack the tangible factors often associated with “success.” In Parts I and II, the authors redefine success in terms of faithfulness – obeying God and working hard, serving God and others, loving God, strengthening one’s belief, praying, pursuing holiness, and developing a positive attitude, with chapters on each of these. Part III offers encouragements in affirming God’s plan for one’s ministry, affirming one’s ministry call, valuing the glory of the ordinary, experiencing the healing power of loyal fellow workers, and holding to the assurance of heavenly reward. Part IV offers two helpful chapters on how the minister’s spouse and congregation may be of help.
From the Publisher
How does one measure success in ministry? Longtime pastor Kent Hughes and his wife Barbara urge readers to turn to God’s Word rather than numbers.
Every year thousands of God’s servants leave the ministry convinced they are failures. Years ago, in the midst of a crisis of faith, Kent Hughes almost became one of them. But instead he and his wife Barbara turned to God’s Word, determined to learn what God had to say about success and to evaluate their ministry from a biblical point of view.
This book describes their journey and their liberation from the “success syndrome”-the misguided belief that success in ministry means increased numbers. In today’s world it is easy to be seduced by the secular thinking that places a number on everything. But the authors teach that true success in ministry lies not in numbers but in several key areas: faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness, and a Christlike attitude. Their thoughts will encourage readers who grapple with feelings of failure and lead them to a deeper, fuller understanding of success in Christian ministry.
This book was originally published by Tyndale in 1987 and includes a new preface.
About the Author
R. Kent Hughes was in pastoral ministry for 41 years, the last 27 as senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He serves as the series editor for Crossway’s popular Preaching the Word commentaries and has made numerous contributions to the series. He and his wife, Barbara, have four children and 21 grandchildren. Barbara is a popular teacher of women’s groups and together with Kent has also authored Disciplines of a Godly Family and Common-Sense Parenting.
Related Areas
See Other Resources on Minister Self-Care and Preventing Burnout:
- Minister Self-Care
- Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming
- Ministry Support Systems
- Pastoral Theology
- Strengthening and Renewing the Ministry Call
See Resources on Over 100 Ministry Topics: